I

N THE Diocese of Worcester we are committed to a Kingdom vision, one which

will enable us to fulfil our vocation to become a Kingdom people whose lives are
characterised by Kingdom values of love, compassion, justice and freedom.
With a general election looming in May, this year is a very significant one for our
nation. It is worrying to see how the main political parties struggle to communicate
a convincing vision. In the light of this, it is vital that as Christians we should be able
to communicate and live out a Kingdom vision.
This excellent Lent Course, which is a biblical engagement with politics, will help
us do just that and I am very grateful to Doug Chaplin and Phillip Jones for it. I hope
that it will be very widely used.
Many people outside the church are unlikely to understand what a Kingdom
vision is though most of the values which underpin all that is best in our society
derive from it. The idea of the common good, which this course reflects, is very
accessible. It is an integral part of our Kingdom vision, as we engage with and serve
our community, and the course helps us to see how the two are related.
One very good practical outcome of the use of the course would be for churches
to arrange hustings for their local candidates and, in
an informed manner, question them about their
commitment to the common good. I hope that
many churches will do this.
God bless you as you use this course. May it
enable you better to seek the common good as
Kingdom people.

The Rt Revd John Inge

Bishop of Worcester

Seeking the Common Good

LENT 2015

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Introduction

In July 2014, the Church of Englands General Synod passed this

motion:
That this Synod:
(a) affirm the theological imperative of serving the common
good;
(b) commend the practical activities which serve the common
good, exemplified by our parishes, dioceses and the National
Church Institutions, and encourage their further development;
and
(c) call on churches at a local level, along with diocesan and
national Church bodies, to ensure by word and action that
the political parties are challenged to promote the common
good when drawing up their manifestos for the 2015 General
Election.
This Lent course is one contribution to the third part of that
motion, in line withour diocesan Kingdom People vision. For
the first time in this country, owing to the Fixed Term Parliament Act, we know the general election date well in advance.
The material in this pack takes some of the key areas which
might inform our voting and seeks to explore them drawing on
both biblical and contemporary material.
The pattern for each week is the same: an engagement with
some of the biblical material leads into exploring the same
question from an economic and social perspective drawn
largely from headline topics in the media. The final week
includes only the biblical material, but draws on a wider range.
The biblical material has been prepared by Doug Chaplin,
the economic and social by Phillip Jones, and we hope they
complement each other. Groups and group leaders will need
to select (we hope from both sections) according to the time
they have available.
There is material for worship and prayer included after the
five weeks. We encourage you to spend more time in prayer
than a perfunctory opening and closing prayer, perhaps using
the version of Prayer during the Day which is provided. This
can come either at the beginning or end of the group session.
As well as this pack, the material for each week is available
as a separate downloadable PDF file. The worship and prayer
sheet is also downloadable as a separate file.
Finally, we hope, at the end of each weeks material you
will ask the question: As a result of todays discussion, what
would you like to ask your candidates at a hustings? It has
been very common for churches, usually as part of a Churches
Together group, to organise and often host a hustings for the
local candidates. We hope this will again be widespread around
the diocese, and that this Lent course will stimulate informed
participation. Some notes on hustings are available separately
on the wesbite, offering important and, we hope, useful guidance
on election regulations.

Doug Chaplin
Phillip Jones

Mission Development Officers

Equipped to witness to the

gospel of love, compassion,
justice and freedom.
Ready to engage with and
serve our community

Kingdom People Vision: Characteristics 3 & 7

Contents
Bishops Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. A Good Life?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. A Good Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. A Good Nation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4. A Good Creation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5. A Good Citizen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Prayer & Worship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Page 2

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Week 1: A Good Life?

From the Bible

Visions of what makes for human happiness

If you type good life into Google, the top hits relate to
the brilliant BBC sitcom with Richard Briers, Penelope Keith
and company. The comedy came from putting the two sets of
neighbours together, the one couple trying an escape from
the rat-race experiment in self-sufficiency, the other couple
driven by the wifes social-climbing built on her husbands
financial and business success.
Two visions of the good life are put side by side; one
which is materialist, the other its opposite. A similar contrast
appears in the book of Deuteronomy. In this passage, material
possessions are presented both as a sign of Gods blessing, and
a temptation to forget Gods grace.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it
may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a
land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your
ancestors, has promised you.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children
and talk about them when you are at home and when you are
away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a
sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead,
and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your
gates.
When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that
he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,
to give you -- a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,

houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn
cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that
you did not plant -- and when you have eaten your fill, take care
that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
(Deuteronomy 6:3-12 NRSV)
How important are material things for our comfort?
What level of possessions or wealth might be seen as
enough?
How do the things we own contribute to, or detract from,
our ideas of a good life?
On the whole, it is a theme running through the Old Testament, that blessing and happiness include belonging to a
family that has its own place, its own plot of land. The blessing
is a share in the people, a share in the land, a fruitful harvest,
and children to safeguard that blessing for old-age and future
remembrance.
By the time of Jesus, the Roman province of Palestine
included a great many landless poor. Much of the land was
owned not as envisioned in the books of the Torah, but by
wealthy and often absentee landlords. This is reflected in the
way Jesus parables draw on images of stewards, managers and
tenant farmers.
When Jesus offers a picture of Gods blessings, he pictures
something counter-intuitive. Matthews version is better
known than Luke, but over the page they are in a more
unusual translation.
Page 3

Jesus taught them, saying:

Happy are people who are hopeless,
because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
Happy are people who are humble,
because they will inherit the earth.
Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness,
because they will be fed until they are full.
Happy are people who show mercy,
because they will receive mercy.
Happy are people who have pure hearts,
because they will see God.
Happy are people who make peace,
because they will be called Gods children.
Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are
righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and
speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of
me. Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward
in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who
came before you. (Matt 5:2-12 CEB)
There are future rewards of possessions (the kingdom of
heaven, the earth, food enough to be full) which remain in
tune with the more materialistic approach of much of the Old
Testament. However, the emphasis suggests that happiness
in the here and now comes from faithfulness, from character,
from trust in God whatever the circumstances or immediate
reward. Thats not lacking in the Old Testament prophets, but
it moves centre stage in the gospels.

There are three main reasons for this: whilst work is what it
says, none the less there is some intrinsic satisfaction in it and
we would miss it if we didnt have it; whilst the average income
may be at a level Keynes thought would be sufficient for us not
to want more, that hides growing inequality between those
with plenty and those with still insufficient; whilst many of us
may have what we need we dont have all we want.
There is something that seems inherent in our economic
system that is insatiable. We spend because we want to be
like others (so-called bandwagon goods), or because we want
to stand out from the crowd (snob goods), or to advertise
our wealth (e.g. with expensive labels). This maybe rooted
in human nature and our social character but capitalism has
released it from the bounds of custom and religion which
previously held it back.
If we translate this to the place of politics within our
economic system and society then:
The wise prince treats people as they are, not as they should
be: he exploits their fickleness, hypocrisy and greed to attain
his ends. The test of virtue in politics is success, not goodness
(Machiavelli). This doctrine was so shocking to Christian moralists that old Nick became a byword for the Devil. But it was
heeded all the same. (Robert and Edward Skidelsky, How Much is
Enough? The Love of Money and the Case for the Good Life, Allen Lane,
2012)

In order to deliver what it is perceived people want, growth

has become a mantra of modern politics. However, one might
ask what is growth for? Can growth in itself be a final end?
Wealth is clearly not the good we are looking for, since it is useful,
and for the sake of something else (Aristotle).

Reading the beatitudes in this modern translation, does

anything strike you about them in new ways?
How important is character for happiness?
How important is a sense of moral and spiritual purpose
for happiness?
We can ask the question of What is a good life? both in
terms of What gives people happiness? and What makes
someone a good person? Which of those approaches do
you prefer?
What are the advantages of your preferred approach?

Aristotles something else might be the Good Life referred

to above. Happiness is rather like growth, it is not a final
end but in this case an indicator of Good Life. Rather, there
are certain basic goods that are necessary for the Good
Life.
One list is as follows:
99 Health
99 Security
99 Respect
99 Personality (i.e. to be able live ones life with some
autonomy and spontaneity)
to todays politics
99 Harmony with nature
The famous economist John Maynard Keynes imagined the
99 Friendship(including family and non-family
day when we might face the problem of how to occupy the
relationships)
leisure, which science and compound interest have won for us,
99 Leisure
to live wisely and agreeably and well. He wrote about this in
Do these basic goods stand up against the economic
the 1930s and thought that in a hundred years time this state, pressures of our society?
where we would all have sufficient income not to need to work Would you agree with this list or want to add or take away
more than 15 hours a week, might be attained, i.e. not too far
some of the points?
from now. We do have on average the income Keynes thought Should our politicians pander to our wants or should they
necessary, but although working hours have come down since take a higher view, even if it might be less immediately
the 1930s the leisured, good life of living wisely and agreeably
popular and maybe cost them votes?
and well does not seem likely to be achieved soon.
Page 4

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Week 2: A Good Society?

From the Bible

Living together: equality, diversity and community

When the priest Ezra returned from exile in Babylon to stimulate the rebuilding of city, temple and society, he set about
proclaiming the law (Nehemiah 8:1-12). That law had been
collected and edited by priests and scribes in exile. Ezra was
both a Jewish priest and a representative of the Persian bureaucracy. While we cant be sure exactly what was contained in his
edition of the Torah, this law was licensed by Persian authorities as the constitution for the province of Yehud.
It is hard to tell which laws reflected past or present
reality, and which were idealistic expressions of Israelite faith
arising from the teachings of prophets, priests and scribes.
For example, there is real doubt whether the law of Jubilee
(Leviticus 25:10-17) was ever put into practice. The story of
Ezras proclamation of the Law reminds us these were not just
religious teachings, but intended to also be the law of the land.
The law was seen as making provision for Gods good society.
Here are some verses from Leviticus 19, which illustrate
the mix of laws which set forth the Israelite vision for a good
society.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation
of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I
the Lord your God am holy.
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap
to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your
harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the
fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor
and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not
lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name,
profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and
you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until
morning. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against
any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your animals
breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with
two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two
different materials. (Lev 19:1-2, 9-13, 18-19 NRSV)
The Israelite view of a good society is not quite the same
as ours. Which aspects of Israelite society envisaged here
still seem like part of a good society today?
The code described in Leviticus includes laws (among other
things) about how people treat the poor, the immigrant

(alien), the neighbour, the employee and their own

children.
Do you consider all of these as equally essential to being a
good society, as Leviticus seems to?
What reasons do you have for thinking as you do?
St Paul seems to have adapted a common metaphor within
Greek and Roman culture of society as a body, and applied it
to the working of the church. The point is the co-operative
functioning of different parts of the body, which is necessary for a healthy life. It is worth re-reading part of a familiar
passage and hearing in it a vision of a harmonious society, not
only a prescription for the churchs worship and ministry.
A body is not a single organ, but many. Suppose the foot were
to say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it
belongs to the body none the less. Suppose the ear were to say,
Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, it still
belongs to the body. If the body were all eye, how could it hear?
If the body were all ear, how could it smell? But, in fact, God
appointed each limb and organ to its own place in the body as
he chose.
The eye cannot say to the hand, I do not need you, or the
head to the feet, I do not need you. Quite the contrary: those
parts of the body which seem to be more frail than others are
indispensable, and those parts of the body which we regard
as less honourable are treated with special honour. The parts
we are modest about are treated with special respect, whereas
our respectable parts have no such need. But God has combined the various parts of the body, giving special honour to
the humbler parts, so that there might be no division in the
body, but that all its parts might feel the same concern for one
another. If one part suffers, all suffer together; if one flourishes,
all rejoice together. (1 Corinthians 12:14-18, 20-26 REB)
If you read this passage as an image of society, does
anything particularly stand out?
Do you think that one part of society sometimes seems
to say to another I do not need you? If you do, can you
suggest some examples?
One of the less discussed parts of Pauls imagery is his
veiled reference to private parts: The parts we are modest
about are treated with special respect, whereas our
respectable parts have no such need. (12:23-24). What do
you think this might say about the ways we treat the less
respectable sectors of our society?
To which specific groups might this metaphor be applied?
Page 5

 to todays politics.

The Chief Economist of the Bank of England has estimated

that the value of volunteering is more than 50bn a year and
probably much higher (equivalent to half the cost of the NHS).
Although Mr Camerons Big Society has met with some criticism, it has its origins in the writings of Phillip Blond and the
book Red Tory, which rejected both the market based solutions
of the right and expectations of the state providing on the left.
This itself grew out of a strand of theology known as Radical
Orthodoxy, which attempts to reassert the place of faith at the
centre of thought and action. There is also a corresponding
Blue Labour project. Catholic Social Teaching also puts faith at
the centre of its understanding of society and was the basis for
the document The Common Good published by the Catholic
Bishops Conference before the 1997 general election.
Anglican Social Theology has, by contrast, been heavily
influenced by the writings of Archbishop William Temple. His
book Christianity and the Social Order (1942) is frequently
referred to as an influence on the founders of the Welfare
State (indeed he is credited with coining the phrase). Temple
and those who created the Welfare State perhaps represented
the high point (at least in capitalist society) of arguing that
there was a need for more than voluntarism to provide for
peoples needs, though in recent decades there has been a
move away from its all-embracing nature.
Churches have often been at the forefront of voluntary
responses to need, though often on an ad hoc basis. The
emergence of food banks, largely at the behest of churches,
represents an example of that response to perceived need,
often working with partners such as supermarkets:
MALVERNS Waitrose supermarket is now hosting a year-long
donation point for the national charity backing the Malvern
Hills Food Bank.
The supermarket chain is working nationally hand-in-hand
with the Trussell Trust to ensure food banks have a steady and
manageable supply of food all year round.
And the Edith Walk branch will from now on have an easily-found collection point close to the entrance, ready for your
donations.
Branch manager Scott Whittaker said: Our food banks do
an incredible job helping those who need it. Were delighted
to work with the Trussell Trust to help our customers support
food banks throughout the year, and particularly at this time of
year. (Evesham Journal, 13 December 2014)
Many of us are glad to support the work of food banks in
meeting a need, but when we look beyond that they raise
more complex questions. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, recently said (February 2014):
I think what is happening is two things. One is that the basic
safety net that was there to guarantee that people would not
be left in hunger or destitution has actually been torn apart and
no longer exists and that there is a real, real dramatic crisis. And
the second is that in this context, the administration of social
assistance, I am told, has become more and more punitive so
if applicants dont get it right, they have to wait ten days or

two weeks with nothing and that is why the role of food banks
has been crucial and for a country of affluence, that quite
frankly is a disgrace. (Quoted in Crucible January-March 2014)
As well as benefit delays that are cited as a reason for many
seeking help from food banks, according to a recent report,
workers on zero-hours contracts earn nearly 300 a week less
than permanent employees. Average weekly earnings for zero
hour workers are 188, compared with 479 for permanent
staff. Zero-hours workers are also five times more likely not to
qualify for statutory sick pay than permanent workers due to
their lower level of pay. There are 1.4 million contracts with no
guaranteed minimum hours.
One possible response to low pay is the campaign for a
Living Wage. (7.85 an hour outside London compared with
the National Minimum Wage of 6.50 an hour.) The Diocese
of Worcester has signed up to this for its own employees and
is encouraging its churches to do the same for their employees
and will be seeking to encourage other employers to do so too.
At the same time as the report on zero hours was published,
research also showed that the governments cap on benefits
was providing an incentive for people to find work with 41%
more likely to get a job than people who were unaffected.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the
benefits cap was changing attitudes and behaviour.
Food banks are not going to disappear any time soon,
but there is a growing debate about the proper long-term
response to poverty in this country. Some see work in a
growing economy as the way out of dependency and poverty,
others still believe the state has a role to play as the following
suggests:
Food banks, despite their apparent win-win structure, conceal
realities of poverty and hunger. They let the state off the hook
from their obligation to ensure all have the means to live and
from showing political leadership to grapple creatively with
poverty.
We need sustainable livelihoods rather than insecure, poorly
paid work and social welfare benefits that offer dignity and
sufficiency rather than penalties and indebtedness.
Growing hunger is too big for charitable food banks to solve.
(Elizabeth Dowler, Professor of Food and Social policy, Department of Sociology, University of Warwick).
How should we incentivise people to find work?
There are now more working families living in poverty
in the UK than non-working ones. What should be done
about low pay?
Growing hunger is too big for charitable food banks to
solve. What is the role for the voluntary sector and the
state in our country?
What is the role of the market in our society?

Page 6

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Week 3: A Good Nation?

One of the ways visions of a just society are often presented in

From the Bible
the Bible is in descriptions of a just ruler, or just leaders. These
Living in a globalised world
are usually expressed as hopes about a desired or promised fuLast week we looked at some material from Leviticus 19. Two ture, or condemnations of an unjust present. Here is a familiar
of the verses left out of last weeks reading are these:
vision of the just ruler from the prophet Isaiah.
When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not
On him the spirit of the Lord will rest: a spirit of wisdom and
cheat them. Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated understanding, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowlas if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as
edge and fear of the Lord; and in the fear of the Lord will be
yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I
his delight. He will not judge by outward appearances or decide
am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34 CEB)
a case on hearsay; but with justice he will judge the poor and
The Common English Bible replaces the technical term of
defend the humble in the land with equity; like a rod his verdict
the immigration system used in many translations alien or
will strike the ruthless, and with his word he will slay the wicked.
resident alien and replaces it with the more contemporary
He will wear the belt of justice, and truth will be his girdle. Then
term immigrant. The Good News Bible and New International the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with
Version have foreigner. Technically, all those translations are
the kid; the calf and the young lion will feed together, with a
accurate, but their emotional impact differs.
little child to tend them. (Isaiah 11:2-6 REB)
A similar sentiment crops up in the book of Exodus (again, Here is a harsh criticism of injustice from the prophet Amos.
with slightly different language in different translations):
There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast rightDont abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember,
eousness to the ground. There are those who hate the one who
were once strangers in Egypt. (Exodus 22:21)
upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.
Dont oppress an immigrant. You know what its like to be an
You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their
immigrant, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.
grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you
(Exodus 23:9)
will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your
These texts can have a different emotional impact
offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress
depending on the word used to translate the Hebrew word
the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice
ger alien, foreigner, sojourner, stranger, immigrant are all
in the courts. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the
used by different English translations.
Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate
Re-read each of the verses above (Lev 19:33-34, Ex 22:21,
evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.
Ex 23:9) with each of those different words, and reflect on
(Amos 5:7,10-12, 14-15 NIV 2011)
what differences you hear as you read them. Which do you
find the most challenging translation?
Isaiahs vision includes what ought to be achievable for
example, a fair trial with the fantastic carnivores
All three verses make an appeal to the Israelites to
making friends with their prey.
remember their past when they think about how to act in
Do you think this reflects a cynicism about human
the present. Our history of immigration (along with much
government its almost as hard to imagine a just ruler as
else in our global relationships) is deeply influenced by the
a tame lion? Or do you think it represents a call to dream
years in which the British Empire turned so much of the
ambitiously of an absolute justice and peace, rather than
map pink.
settle for less? Or is it some combination of the two?
Do you think our past history should influence our
Amos condemns a system in which justice is replaced
present policies when it comes to discussing questions of
by the rich and powerful manipulating the courts, and
immigration?
abusing their power. This has many implications at an
Do you think our history of having benefited greatly
individual level, but does it also have something to say
from one-sided trade with colonial possessions places
about the way wealthy nations can use their purchasing
obligations on us to contribute positively to world
power and consumer needs to affect the lives of poorer
development?
nations?
Page 7

Campaigners for global tax justice are calling for measures to

end financial secrecy. This would include country-by-country reporting of profits and tax paid in every country where a
multi-national operates; exchange of information between tax
authorities in all countries, including tax havens; and public
registers of the real owners of the multitude of trusts and shell
companies that are frequently used to conceal the profits
made and taxes potentially owed.
Can we overcome the economic power of multi-national
companies (some of whom are bigger than many nation
states)? If so how?
Two decades ago the UK government gave 0.27% of Gross
Domestic Product (national income) as aid. Following the
creation of the Department for International Development
this slowly increased to the UN target of 0.7% of GDP. Politicians from the major parties have remained committed
to maintaining this figure (it is currently along with health
and education one of the ring-fenced departments in the
to todays politics
governments budget) and a bill to protect this commitYou may be aware of the well-publicised criticisms of many
ment was making its way through Parliament at the time of
large multi-national companies for their tax avoidance (legally writing. However, a recent comment piece cautioned:
minimising tax through accountants and lawyers). The Public
The consensus on aid is weak. The energy that drove the agenAccounts Committee has highlighted firms such as Google
da forward has dissipated. DfID, once an intellectual powerwith 3bn in sales in the UK but which paid only 11m in tax
house, is a pale shadow of its former self. NGOs have become
and Amazon which paid 2.4 in tax on sales of 4.2bn whilst
complacent and defensive.
receiving 2.5m in government grants. A number of other
As a result, it is easy to imagine a future government saying
firms have also been criticised.
that there can be no economic development without military
As well as occasional campaigns to boycott some of these
security as it hives part of DfIDs budget off to the Ministry of
firms there have been a steady stream of revelations about
Defence. It is conceivable that cost saving could see DfID abolthe use of low tax jurisdictions, such as Luxemburg and
ished altogether, with its functions subsumed into the Foreign
Ireland, and the use of tax havens, such as the Cayman Islands,
Office. And there are circumstances in which it is entirely plausihowever, the tax gap due to tax avoidance in the UK still
ble that a future parliament would rescind the aid bill. Imagine,
remains at 32bn according to HM Revenue and Customs,
for example, that the budget deficit remains stubbornly high
while many experts believe the figure is twice that.
but the pressures on the NHS intensify. Ministers say there is a
Tax avoidance also affects many poorer countries. Many
choice: the public can pay to see their GP or there can be cuts
development charities, including Christian Aid have been
elsewhere, including in the aid budget. You do not need to be
campaigning about tax justice. Christian Aid puts it this way:
a genius to see that international development would be as
Poverty and hunger robs people of their dignity, freedom and
friendless as it was in the 1980s, a decade when Britain cut its
hope, of power over their own lives. Christian Aid insists the
budget, and undermined attempts, such as the Brandt report,
world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone
to forge international co-operation on aid, trade and developcan live a full life, free from poverty. We know that tackling the ment. (Guardian, 8 December 2014)
symptoms is not enough. To end the scandal of poverty we
Aid has frequently been used as a means of enhancing national
need to challenge and change the systems and structures that interest as well as helping poorer countries, whether that is to
keep people hungry.
support foreign policy or defence interests, or to require firms
Tackling poverty, hunger and malnutrition is a complex issue from the donor counties to be on the tender lists for contracts.
and, above all, it costs money money that poor countries do It is arguable that aid in the UK still reflects our past as well as
not have. Tax dodging on a massive scale by some unscruour present as a world political and trading power.
pulous large global companies is depriving poor countries of
the revenues that could fund [this]. Tax dodging costs poor
What should be our priorities as a country on the
countries $160bn every year more than one-and-a-half times international stage?
the entire global aid budget. Ending tax dodging would give
What place should aid play in government priorities?
poor countries the means to lift themselves out of poverty and, Do we as Christians believe in a preferential option
eventually, help them to end their reliance on aid. (Pocket
for the poor?
Guide to Tax Justice, 2013).
Page 8

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Week 4: A Good Creation?

From the Bible

Stewarding the worlds resources

Most discussion of creation starts with Genesis, and its easy to
forget theres a lot more about creation elsewhere in the Bible,
most notably in the psalms and Job. Here are just a few verses
from Psalm 104. (If you use this psalm in your worship, you
might read all of it, or at least verses 10-24.)
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between
the hills, giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench
their thirst. By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you
water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your
work. You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for
people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, and wine to
gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread
to strengthen the human heart. (Psalm 104:10-15 NRSV)
This and other passages start with wonder and thanksgiving.
The greatness of God is thrown into new focus by appreciating
the magnificence of what is made. The kindness of God is highlighted by receiving the goods of the world with thanksgiving.
How important are the ideas of delight in creation
and thankfulness for creation in approaching the big
questions of the environment, ecology, saving species from
extinction, or feeding the world?
Do we jump too quickly to guilt, and not spend enough
time in appreciation?
When we turn to the opening chapter of Genesis, the work of
creation is portrayed as climaxing in the creation of human
beings in the image of God.
Then God said, Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and
over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God
he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the
sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that
moves upon the earth.
God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that
is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its
fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the
earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps
on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given
every green plant for food. And it was so.

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very
good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth
day. (Gen 1:26-31 NRSV)
The phrase the image of God has been understood in some
very different ways. It is a very rich and poetic theological idea.
One possible background is that the language suggests the
building of a temple. The whole creation is being made as a
dwelling for God. In the ancient middle and near east (with
the notable exception of Jerusalems temple!) the climax of the
building is installing an image of the deity to enable proper
worship. In this reading of the story, the human calling is to
enable the created world to relate to God.
Another possible background is when a king conquered a
territory, an statue of that ruler might be erected as a claim the
territory was now part of their kingdom. In this reading, our
human vocation is to represent Gods rule over his creation.
These two ideas are joined together in a tradition that
sees human beings as priests of the world, called to represent
Gods loving rule to creation, and articulate its praise of God.
How new are these ideas to you and your church? Do they
currently inform either your worship or your thinking and
engagement with ecological or environmental issues?
If exercising Gods providential and caring rule over
creation is a fundamental human calling, then do you think
ecological and environmental concerns have a high enough
priority in the life of the church? Should they be more
important in our political decisions.
Then Jesus told them a parable: The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, What should I
do, for I have no place to store my crops? Then he said, I will do
this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there
I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat,
drink, be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night
your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have
prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up
treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.
(Luke 12:16-21 NRSV)
Do you think we take seriously the idea that our worlds
resources are not unlimited, and plan sufficiently for the
future of the planet and the generation that will be born
in the next century? Or is each generation a little too like
the rich fool of Jesus parable? What if anything do you
think needs to change?
Page 9

 to todays politics

Governments can only do so much and there is a growing

movement know as Transition Towns that argues people have
This graphic from
to take the future into their own hands too by living more
Good Energy a
sustainably. As DEFRA says:
green energy supWe all governments, businesses, families and communities,
plier, illustrates some
the public sector, voluntary and community organisations
possibly surprising
need to make different choices if we are to achieve the vision of
statistics about the
sustainable development.
fuel sources of our
However, the Transition movement would say they are a local
electricity supply,
bottom-up movement with priorities such as:
and by extension
99 Energy descent planning;
some of our other
99 Local food growing and community supported
energy supplies such
agriculture;
as gas and oil.
99 Reduced consumption and a reliance on local
They claim their
procurement;
research shows
99 Environmentally sustainable mobility;
that in 2013, the
99 Active discussion of Transition through regular
UK continued to
community meetings and open space events.
import over 60% of
This changes the balance between seeking global sustainability
the fuel it needed to
and developing local resilience:
generate electricity
99 From considering distant and globalised concerns to
often from volatile
local threats;
places around the
99 From deploying reactionism to promoting activism and
globe. The UK buys coal from Russia, gas from Norway and
situated pragmatism;
uranium from Canada and Australia - but in total 20 other
99 From governing sustainability to place-based decisioncountries currently supply us with the power we need. This
making;
fuel is then primarily delivered to the UK by boat (84.4%) or by
99 Ideas of local resilience
pipe (15.6%) travelling an average distance of 3,900 miles.
There are Transition groups in most towns in Worcestershire
In 2012 they found that 35% of the fuel came from the
and in Stourbridge, all of which are local initiatives but generalUKs own resources, having already fallen from43% in 2011.
ly associated with the wider Transition network.
At the end of 2014 only 33.8% of the fuel we use to generate
electricity comes from the UK itself. However, of this amount What should we expect the government and public
of UK generated electricty, 40.8% comes from renewable
authorities to do on our behalf about climate change and
sources, an increase from 27.8% in 2012 and 19.2% in 2011.
what should we be prepared actively to do ourselves?
Ministers at the Department of Energy and Climate Change
have sought to promote the Governments commitment to
However accurate the various predictions of environmental
renewables (though not without significant criticism). Not
apocalypse may be, it is clear that the world will struggle to susall renewable power generation is popular, with complaints,
tain a growing population with a lifestyle consuming at the rate
for example, about noise pollution and visual intrusiveness
of first-world nations now. For this reason ecological questions
are also questions concerning international equity and economfor onshore wind turbines (which are cheaper than off-shore),
ic development. In this light a number of authors have
and more recently, objections to some large-scale solar farms.
asked whether the current economic model of development
Other possible sources of energy, such as fracking or nuclear
and growth needs to be revised in favour of more sustainable
are equally or more unpopular.
economic models that restore a more harmonious relation
between humans and our natural resources. This reflects the
Even if we reduce our consumption, we will still need to
argument that there are human and social goods that cannot
generate power. How should we balance the need for
be simply be subordinated to the limitless pursuit of profit and
renewables (wind turbines, solar arrays, etc.) against
that require ultimate protection by national and international
the visual and local environment? (Conventional power
law. (Malcolm Brown ed. Anglican Social Theology, Church House
stations are also large but often in industrial areas, and
Publishing, 2014)
nuclear power stations raise other questions).
If your group wants to explore more direct climate change
issues, there is a helpful Q&A on climate change and the
wider issues on this BBC page.

What changes to our lifestyles and livelihoods would you

be prepared to accept for the sake of the future of the
planet and the human race?
Page 10

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Week 5: A Good Citizen?

From the Bible to todays politics

The place of morality in voting and citizenship

After Babylon defeated the kingdom of Judah in 597 BC,
there were successive waves of deportation over the following
years. The leadership, and nobility, the powerful and the
wealthy were the key figures who were deported into exile in
Babylon. After the first wave of exile, the prophet Jeremiah, still
in Jerusalem, wrote to those who had been deported (and who
were no doubt still hoping God would lead their nation back
to victory and a swift return). This is the opening part of the
letter he wrote:
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles
whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build
houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for
your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may
bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,
and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find
your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NRSV)
The word translated as welfare three times in that last
sentence is the rich and familiar biblical word shalom. The
defeated people are to seek the peace of their enemys empire;
the captives are to pray and work for the well-being of their
captors. The exiles would not find that experience easy, as
some at least of them agonised when they sat down and wept
by the waters of Babylon: How shall we sing the Lords song in a
foreign land? (Psalm 137).
Jeremiah does not expect the exiles to give up the Lords
song, the truth or practice of their faith. He does expect them
to seek the common good of the city and empire: their peace
and well-being will be secured by seeking the good of the
whole city. It is a striking picture of being an (involuntary)
immigrant community in another place. They are both to hold
on to their own cultural heritage of faith, and to be committed
to the common good of the city. It is an early bi-cultural, bireligious form of politics (from the Greek word for city polis).
How well do you think we encourage a balance for
immigrant groups between a real honouring of their
culture and traditions, and a real expectation that they
engage in, and commit to, a common political life for the
good of all?
Does Jeremiahs model (what the Lord says to the Judean
exiles) work as a model for what we should expect of
immigrant communities?

The idea of citizenship is taken up in a different way in the

letters of Paul as an image of Christian communities in the
Roman empire. So, for example, Paul says to the Philippians:
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are
expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20 NRSV).
The picture appears to draw on the image of a beleaguered
Roman colony (the Philippian church) awaiting rescue with the
arrival of the emperor and his army (a Saviour). It was a vital
image of belonging, status and privilege in a world where by no
means everyone was a citizen. Probably fewer than 10% of the
population were Roman citizens, and perhaps 30% were slaves.
If Lukes picture of Paul as both a citizen of Tarsus and a
citizen of Rome represents a quite common practice of dual
citizenship, then here Paul is adding another layer. Just as being
a citizen of Rome was both a higher-level status and a higherlevel loyalty than being a citizen of Tarsus, so it would seem,
being a citizen of heavens commonwealth represents a still
higher level of status and loyalty for all his new Christians.
The adult male citizens of each city were those who
got to have a say in the running of the city. They did so
by participating in the citizens assembly, for which the
normal everyday word was ekklsia the word that the New
Testament universally uses for the gathering of Christians and
we translate (in that context) church. In the holy ekklsia, as
opposed to the worldly one, slaves and women also had a say.
Language of commonwealth of heaven, citizens of
heaven, citizen assembly, is not always noticed for its
political connotations? What strikes you about the idea
that the normal word the early Christians used for the
worship gathering of all Christians was the same word
that was used for the citys political assembly of free adult
males? Can you think of Christian belonging as one half of
dual citizenship, or do you find the idea difficult?
People sometimes seem anxious about the loyalty of
British Muslim citizens to Western countries, but we need
to remember in the first Elizabethan age, people worried
about the loyalty of Catholics to the Protestant state.
In various times and places, the state has worried about
whether Christians can be loyal citizens. Have you ever
pondered whether your faith raises a remote chance you
might need to choose God rather than Caesar? In what
circumstances might it happen? Does thinking of yourself
with a possible double loyalty raise questions for you about
how a country like ours can nurture loyalty among citizens
who hold a strong commitment to a transnational faith?
Page 11

One of the few overtly political passages of the New Testament, which bad governments have fallen back on to try to
compel Christian loyalty is in St Pauls letter to the Romans.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for
there is no authority except from God, and those authorities
that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever
resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who
resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good
conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for
it is Gods servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong,
you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword
in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath
but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also
pay taxes, for the authorities are Gods servants, busy with this
very thing. Pay to all what is due themtaxes to whom taxes
are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom
respect is due, honour to whom honour is due.
(Romans 13:1-7 NRSV)
First, Paul notes the role of the authorities is the maintenance
of order and peace (remember this comes only a few verses
after he has exhorted people not to seek vengeance, but to
live at peace with one another). He sees this role as preventing
communal, social and individual violence between the many
different groups, nationalities and factions which made up the
life of the empire, and especially the diversity of its capital city.
Secondly, he alludes to a common practice of encouraging
benefactors. A wealthy Roman could gain status and fame,
by making a benefaction to the city. This might be paying for
a public building, putting on games at ones own expense, or
arranging for shipments of wheat from Egypt to be given as
a gift to the poor of a city. In return, the city fathers would
arrange for the person to receive public praise, perhaps an
inscription or a statue, and the status that went with it.
In the New Testament, we hear of Erastus, city treasurer of
Corinth (Romans 16:23). Archaeologists working in Corinth
found an inscription Erastus in return for his aedileship laid the
pavement at his own expense. We might, with our modern hats
on, think this open to corruption. The ancients saw it as a very
sensible way of getting the rich and powerful to contribute
to the common good through rewarding philanthropy with
public honour. The idea of publicly praising contributors to the
community lies behind our honours system.
Does the idea of the state preventing conflict between
different groups have a role to play in our politics? If so,
what does that say about the importance of the state
seeking to be impartial, in adjudicating the needs, rights,
contributions and protections of different cultural, social
and class groups? Is it an ideal, and if it is, how attainable
is it? If you dont think it is an ideal, then what do you
think the role of the state towards the interests of different
groups is?

How important is it to encourage those with wealth to

contribute philanthropically to the public life of society?
How can this be done? How much praise and recognition is
it right to give those who do so? Would you go so far as to
support using the tax system to provide greater incentives
to public and charitable giving?
Even with the limited discussion of the state in Romans,
Paul links the collection of taxes with being a public good
(the word he uses is the same word as for those offering a
public work of benefaction). If taxation, as Paul seems to
suggest, is for the public good, then should we be arguing
as Christians for a more positive view of it? What would a
tax policy influenced by the sorts of considerations we have
been discussing in this course look like?
Citizenship is not all about law and politics. In the last biblical
passage we look at in this course, Paul talks not about law, but
about character.
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the
flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and
what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger,
quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing,
and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before:
those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against such things. (Galatians 5:16-23)
Governments may lay down curricula for school, impose
citizenship tests on immigrants, put people in gaol, create new
and diverse offences, but good citizenship is also about good
humanity. Governments can make it easier or harder to be
good citizens by policy and law, but building and shaping character happens in family, community, church, school, societies,
clubs, workplaces and many other places. There are plenty of
laws against bad things. There is no law that can either make or
prevent good character.
Does society pay enough attention to what makes good
character? Do we treat it as important in our churches?
How important is the character of those we vote for at
elections? Would you consider voting for a good person
whose party you disliked and disagreed, or a person
of questionable (to you) morality because you agreed
with what their party stood for? What would make the
difference, and how much do you think character matters?
Finally, out of all five weeks of the course, what have been
the most important issues to take into the polling booth?
Page 12

LENT 2015

Seeking the Common Good

A biblical engagement with todays politics

Prayer and Worship

A Short Act of Worship

guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall
cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
(Isaiah 58.6-9a NRSV)

Preparation

Response

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears.

Silence or song, which may be brought to a close with this response

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.

The following is based on Prayer During the Day for Lent from Common
Worship: Daily Prayer The Archbishops Council of the Church of England

Praise
A hymn, song, canticle, extempore praise or this Song of St Anselm
Jesus, like a mother you gather your people to you;
you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness;
through your gentleness we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead,
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy heal us;
in your love and tenderness remake us.
In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness,
for the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us

The Word of God: Psalm

One of these psalms may be read or said together.
Psalm 15
Psalm 46
Psalm 82
At the end of the psalm all say together.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

The Word of God: Reading

Either this short reading, or one of the Scripture passages used in
the weeks study material.
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the
hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when
you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself
from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the
dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator
shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear-

The Prayers
People join in short intercessions either in silence or aloud. One of
these short litanies may be used.
Either
Let us pray to God the Father,
who has reconciled all things to himself in Christ:
For peace among the nations,
that God may rid the world of violence
and let peoples grow in justice and harmony
Lord, hear us
Lord, graciously hear us
For those who serve in public office,
that they may work for the common good
Lord, hear us
Lord, graciously hear us
For Christian people everywhere,
that we may joyfully proclaim and live our faith in Jesus Christ

Lord, hear us
Lord, graciously hear us
For those who suffer from hunger, sickness or loneliness,
that the presence of Christ may bring them
health and wholeness
Lord, hear us
Lord, graciously hear us
Or
Teach us, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and lead us in the path of your commandments.
Keep our nation under your care;
and guide us in justice and truth.
O Lord, deal graciously with your servants;
teach us discernment and knowledge.
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Let not the needy be forgotten;

nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Guide the meek in judgement;
and teach your ways to the gentle.
Lord, remember your people;
whom you have purchased and redeemed of old.
Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.
Silent prayer may follow
The Collect of the day or the following prayer of St Ignatius is said
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to seek for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.
Amen.
The Lords Prayer is said.

The Conclusion
May God bless us and show us compassion and mercy.
Amen.

Some other appropriate prayers

A Franciscan Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Post-Communion of Lent 5
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us
that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you:
give us the will to be the servant of others
as you were the servant of all,
and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect of 3 before Advent

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Alternative Collect of 3 before Advent

God, our refuge and strength,
bring near the day when wars shall cease
and poverty and pain shall end,
that earth may know the peace of heaven
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Post-Communion of 3 before Advent

God of peace,
whose Son Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom
and restored the broken to wholeness of life:
look with compassion on the anguish of the world,
and by your healing power
make whole both people and nations;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Collect of Rogation Days

God our Father,
you never cease the work you have begun
and prosper with your blessing all human labour:
make us wise and faithful stewards of your gifts
that we may serve the common good,
maintain the fabric of our world
and seek that justice where all may share
the good things you pour upon us;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Social Responsibility

Eternal God,
in whose perfect realm
no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
and no strength known but the strength of love:
so guide and inspire the work of those who seek your kingdom
that all your people may find their security
in that love which casts out fear
and in the fellowship revealed to us
in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Page 14